I find the most repellent people at my workplace are those who overdo the perfume or aftershave. There's a few people I can't walk past without surreptitiously holding my breath, because the air around them is toxic . I'm surprised the OP's boss actually dares to try to tell someone what mode of transport to use to get to work: today's politically correct workplaces generally frown on anything resembling discrimination, which is what this appears to be.

I used to work with a woman who felt the need to drown herself in pefume. It got to the point where we couldnt stay in the office with her.

cheersGlenn

-----------"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever" Lance Armstrong

I think your boss has a reasonable argument here if, and only if you have previously come to work and your body odour and attire is less than business-like.From this you should receive a warning from your boss with a suggestion to consider if riding to work is the best option.

If you continue to ride and continue to have the same problem then your boss should give you a second warning (but does not have the right to dictate how you travel to and from work).

It would be no different for someone walking to work who sweats easily and has the same problem.Should they be asked to catch public transport because walking to work is making them smelly? Ridiculous.

But the problem of smelling or looking untidy at work is a fair and valid point to any employer....though in this case it seems you are being convicted before doing the crime (which is wrong).

If it were me I would keep things adult and civil and ask if any complaints had been received about you. If yes, then I'd ask the employer to address them here and now to get it out on the table and out of the way.If no complaints have been made, then I would suggest to your boss that riding to work is not proving a problem and should any legitimate formal complaints come in from staff or management you will at that time consider your method of transportation to work.

DoogleDave wrote:I think your boss has a reasonable argument here if, and only if you have previously come to work and your body odour and attire is less than business-like.From this you should receive a warning from your boss with a suggestion to consider if riding to work is the best option.

The work has some rights to care and comment to about the appearance and presentation of its employees. If that is below par then the employee can be informed. Telling the employee how to get to work is not on.

jules21 wrote:the best way to avoid this type of bullying is to be valuable to your employer and make them want to supply perks like showers and bike parking.

Depends on the business, the structure and the managers. Some places are hierarchical and full of self serving managers. A sad but true reality. (Thankfully my employment isn't like that though.)

The other solution if you work in the Sydney CBD might be to join a place like Athlete Lab in Loftus Street Sydney which I think does do bike storage. Ride to there and get changed. You do need to be a member, but from memory the prices aren't so high.

I haven't been there myself as that kind of thing doesn't interest me, but it might solve your problem.

DoogleDave wrote:It would be no different for someone walking to work who sweats easily and has the same problem.Should they be asked to catch public transport because walking to work is making them smelly? Ridiculous.

Public transport here in Sydney is part of the reason so many people arrive at work in summer smelly and sweaty because they've spent 45min or more on a 35-40 degree C train before arriving at work.

I can't see where his boss has actually said why he does'nt want the OP riding to work. The assumption seems to be body odour but there might be another reason and I would ask what is is. It definitely seems small minded and there is no way I would stop riding to work. Your workplace has no authority over you before or after working hours. I would document everything in your discussions in case you need it for fair work.

birdbrain wrote:I can't see where his boss has actually said why he does'nt want the OP riding to work. The assumption seems to be body odour but there might be another reason and I would ask what is is.

Back on page 1

AScyclist21 wrote:Apparently he's worried I, and this is the best bit... I 'Might' show up to work sweaty and smelly. Not really a solid argument.

Its pretty easy to show up clean to work as its essentially flat and downhill the whole way to work from home

As for your other comment

birdbrain wrote:Your workplace has no authority over you before or after working hours. I would document everything in your discussions in case you need it for fair work.

Ah that would be wrong - there are examples of where conduct outside working hours can affect your job. Most salacious case was the hot tub incident involving now ex-employees of Telstra.

Last edited by find_bruce on Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I work for an IT company and am strongly encouraged to ride to work. Fortunately we have a shower in the building cos we are building up quite a contingent of smiling cycle commuters! In fact, we are looking at an office relocation and my boss was already onto ensuring that the new place has a shower before I even raised it.

If your boss/colleagues/customers/clients can tell that you ride a bike to work without seeing you on your bike, you're doing it wrong, and in that case your boss can suggest that you get another mode of transport.

There are three sides to every story: your side, his side...and the truth.

While you might enjoy riding to/from work you still have to be cautious of your appearance especially depending on your position held. Working in a dark room from 9-5, working with others, interacting upfront with customers, interacting upfront with senior management (higher up positions), working on the floor underneath a car, working in a steelmill, working outdoors all day, small mum and dad business, large business etc all have different expectations of how they should present themselves around others and a representation of the business your working for. I'm not saying that you smell and to catch a bus to work but its something that you might have to take into account. Take some wetwipes, a towel to give yourself a quick patdown, change of clothes including socks, deodorant, shower before/at work, if available maybe use a bike lockup facility where showers and lockers are provided. CityRail in Sydney have a very tough stance when it comes to presentation which includes shaving/stubble.

RailCorp's grooming standards require employees to check with their manager if they intend to grow facial hair.

They specify "the 'grunge look' is not acceptable", sunglasses are "not to be left resting on top of head", "long sleeves must not be rolled up", and hats and caps "must not be worn at an extreme angle".

AScyclist21 wrote:Yes, that is true but this isn't an issue with appearance or smell. It's an issue with the way I get to work which he has no say in.

I kind of want to be told once more so I can bust out the "can I get that in writing?"

Which will do you little good and create an openly combative situation with you boss without achieving anything.

If you do want to arm yourself contact HR at the firm in confidence asking what are the contractual obligations regarding activities outside of work hours. The key thing is to get HR to put in writing the things that you are NOT allowed to do.

If HR are on the ball then they could bring up numerous items such as working for a competitor, bringing the company into disrepute, disclosure of information, etc..... They are NOT going to bring up cycling.

Unless he has less common sense than Alan Jones he will not put it in writing.

The recent changes to Work Cover has seen some NSW employers less inclined to 'encourage' participation in Ride2Work day. We now sign a disclaimer at my work place.

My employer is torn between encouraging people to cycle to work and having staff cycle in traffic into Sydney CBD without Work Cover. I see boths sides, but I would probably not cycle unless I had showers and end of trip facilities. That said I would just join a gym, shower there and ride a beaten up single speed that I can chain up anywhere.

I rode to one workplace that had no showers and i just changed my clothes in a loo. For anyone in a similar situation, washing your face and doing an APC job (arm pits n crutch) with baby wipes removes all traces of pong and sweat and BO. Then use BO basher.

cp123 wrote:I rode to one workplace that had no showers and i just changed my clothes in a loo. For anyone in a similar situation, washing your face and doing an APC job (arm pits n crutch) with baby wipes removes all traces of pong and sweat and BO. Then use BO basher.

My workplace has a garden hose . And my commute is 40k, and i don't hold back. Never had any complaints, just get here a bit earlier and prepare.

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments- Elizabeth West.

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